The Idaho State University’s Women’s Rodeo Team recently finished their fall season ranked first nationally. While the Men’s Rodeo Team finished sixteenth in the nation, many members of both teams are ranked impressively nationally.
Within the Rocky Mountain Region that both ISU teams are stationed in, the women’s team is ranked first and the men’s is ranked third.
On an individual basis, the ISU teams ranked very well. Cy Eames, a member of the men’s team, is ranked number two in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association, as well as being ranked number one in the Rocky Mounting Region for the men’s all-around category. On the women’s team, Kimberlyn Fehringer is number one in the Rocky Mountain Region women’s all-around category, as well as being ranked fifth nationally. Multiple other members of both teams are ranked nationally.
Melissa Moon Giannini, the rodeo team advisor, is excited to be ending the season on this note. This is the first year the women’s rodeo team has done this well. “We have had individual women do very well,” says Giannini, referring to prior years, “but have not had our women’s team lead the nation.”
Giannini attributes the success to the combined efforts of the team and advisors. “We have great student athletes recruited this year and an incredible coaching staff- Jared Arave, Bobbie Jorgensen (both past ISU students and rodeo team members) and Tony Barrington. We also have great university support from campus recreation, Doug Milder and Randal Miller.”
According to Giannini, the fall rodeo season begins with the school year and continues onwards until the first of October. The season restarts in February and carries on until mid-April in the spring. By finishing the season so excellently, both teams have a good chance of being qualified for nationals in Casper, Wyo next June.
As an official ISU sport club, all students are eligible to join the rodeo team. As Giannini encourages, “all ISU students are welcome to participate…Coaching staff Jared, Bobbie and Tony have pulled a great group of student athletes together!”
The ISU Rodeo Team can be found at facebook.com/ISURodeoTeam. For more information about joining the team or the club itself, go to isu.edu/campusrec/sportclubs/rodeo.
